Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1887-06-03
Eier,disl, YOraurc.

a revolving case of child martyrdom has
been just tried at the Nancy assizes. A
grandmother, an uncle and an aunt CT the
juvenile martyr were in the dock on the
charge Of having perpetrated slow and
torturing murder. Their family name was
Norrey. The elder Norrey went last July
10 Paris, where he had son, the wife of
whom had lately died, leaving little girl,
Marie Josephine, aged four. She was fetch.
ed back to Driey, where the grandfather,
uncle and aunt lived, and witnesses who de-
posed to her martyrdom said she was q
fresh faced, laughing and attractive child
when she arrived at Briey. The grand
father said she was an encumbrance and
she must be got rid Of, as they could not af-
ford to bring her up. His son Marcel and
his daughter Josephine being of the same
mind, they set about killing the child by
slow degrees. & neighbor, one Cochard
saw Marcel beat the child because che was
not able TO thrash out sheaves OF wheat with
heavy bat. When she cried, and said she
could not hold it, he tied her hands to it and
stood over her with q rod, with which he
struck her when her strength failed. Last
October woman named Teltz, who lived
next door, was awoke at FIVE in the morn.
ing by the piaintive cries Of Marie. Going
TO window and looking in she saw old
Norrey with bunch OF rods foggirg the
child, who, when he let her go, ran to the
aunt, Josephine, TO implore protection, but
instead Of obtaining it she received vic.
lent kick in the abdomen, and was
then picked up by the aunt, who held
her between her knees for the grand.
father to fog afresh. Then he took Marie
by the hair, and, lifting her up, dashed
her on the ground and pommeled her, cry
ing as he did SO, Take that, take that and
let your friends now go il they like and
make another report to the mayorl" An
other day he took her to the pigstye and
rolled her in the filth there, and then, after
throwing bucket of cold water on her,
flogged her with nettles. Another day the
uncle threw her into q rut, at the bottom Of
a hill down which cart driven by the
grandfather was coming, but passerby
saved her from being crushed to death. Last
winter she used 10 be taken from before the
fire and placed under the pump. She was
half starved, she was beaten with burning
brand, and the doctor counted sixty.two
burns on her body. She was confined in
kind OF press under the stairs of the garret.
Two neighbors who caught glimpse of her
in this phase OF her wretchedness said that
he: face no longer ha,l y human appearance.
On the 21st of November, her torturers de-
cided to be done with her. Josephine re-
leased her from the cupboard, put her in
bed, and then went with the rest of the fam
ily to village fete. Marcel came back at
midnight, and the neighbors were aroused
by the terrible shrieks of little Marie. They
went and insisted on tho police commissary
OF Langres sending doctor and the gem
darmes to look to the child, who they found
had been suiiocated with a pillow. After
she was murdered tho uncle stuffed bun
down her throat to be able to say that she
had choked herself in eating it. The three
monsters tried to shift the blame to each
other. A verdict of guilty, but with exten
uating circumstances. was found. Old Nor
rev and Marcel were sentenced to fifteen
years. penal servitude, and Josephine to
tweve.-PW Mall Gazette.